BBC PHOTO

Source: BBC News

DST News: The Chinese Communist Party has appointed Zhang Shengmin, a veteran military official known for leading anti-corruption campaigns within the armed forces, as the country’s new second-highest-ranking general. His appointment came just days after nine top generals were expelled amid a sweeping purge of the military.

Zhang’s promotion to second-ranked vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) was confirmed at the end of a four-day Central Committee meeting. This position makes him the third most influential figure in China’s military hierarchy, following President Xi Jinping and senior vice chairman Zhang Youxia.

According to the Defence Ministry, the nine dismissed generals were accused of serious financial misconduct. However, observers suggest the move may also reflect a broader political effort by Xi to tighten control over the armed forces. The expulsions represent one of the largest public crackdowns on China’s military leadership in decades.

The CMC had been signaling a major cleanup for months. In July, it issued new rules aimed at eradicating “toxic influence” within the ranks and reinforcing “iron discipline” among officers. This latest purge follows a series of smaller anti-corruption drives that previously targeted senior figures such as former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu.

Zhang, 67, who hails from Shaanxi province, joined the People’s Liberation Army in 1978. Before his promotion, he served as deputy secretary of the CMC’s anti-corruption commission and as a general in the PLA Rocket Force.

The Central Committee meeting also approved a new five-year plan outlining China’s strategic goals. The plan highlights the need for “scientific and technological self-reliance” in the face of continued U.S. restrictions on chip and software exports. It also emphasizes a push toward a “green transition,” modernizing national defense, and boosting domestic consumption to offset declining export revenues amid global uncertainty.